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A new study published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behaviorhas found a potential link between drug/alcohol use and a high number of sex partners. Researchers in New Zealand followed over 1000 young men and women and examined their sexual behavior and their drug and alcohol use over their years.

In examining their findings, the researchers found that the study participants who had a high number of sex partners were more likely to use drugs and alcohol than study participants who had fewer sex partners, particularly when it came to women.

During their late teen years, women who had 2-3 sex partners were ten times more to likely to abuse drugs and alcohol than women who one sex partner or no sex partner. The risk factor continued to increase as the women aged. By 32 years old, the risk was almost eighteen times greater.

A high number of sex partners was also linked to drug and alcohol abuse among men, although the rates were not quite as staggering. Men in their late teens who had multiple sex partners were three times more likely to struggle with addiction issues, and men who had more four or more partners had quadruple the risk.

What could account for the link between a high number of sex partners and potential addiction issues down the road?

It could be that people who engage in risky sexual behaviors might be more inclined to also engage in other risky behaviors, such as over-indulging in alcohol or using drugs. We all have different brain chemistry and some people struggle more with controlling impulses than others. A lack of impulse-control can impact a person’s decision-making skills across the board, and it can make them more likely to indulge in a “do it if it feels good” mentality, even though they might later gravely regret the decision.

It could also be that drug/alcohol use makes an increased number of sex partners more likely. A person who is abusing substances might have lower inhibitions and lower regard for what happens to their bodies, not to mention, simply being an environment of addiction is dangerous in and of itself. Parties with rampant drug and alcohol abuse are more likely to include sexual violence and sexual coercion compared to tamer parties.

Additionally, it could be that sexual abuse is at play. Many people who are sexually abused as children turn to drugs/alcohol as a form of coping. According to RAINN, victims of sexual assault are 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol and 26 times more likely to abuse drugs. They might also be more likely to engage in promiscuous or risky sexual behavior, as they wrongly think “Well, I’m ‘used goods’ anyway, so who cares?” It can be very hard for a victim of sexual assault to feel comfortable in her own body and to care for her own sexuality, and this can make her more likely to neglect her own needs. Instead, she might be more likely to simply disconnect from it all and allow herself to be taken advantage of time and time again.

There could also be a social side to these findings. Perhaps women are more likely than men to abuse drugs and alcohol when they have multiple sex partners because they have been socialized to think that “nice girls” don’t have more than one partner. This could affect the woman’s self-esteem and feelings of worth, all of which could mean that she might turn to drugs/alcohol for comfort. In contrast, a man with multiple partners might feel proud of his conquests, rather than ashamed, which could help to explain why women are so much more likely to struggle with addiction when they have multiple partners.

All in all, it’s an important study which helps to show that sexuality doesn’t exist in a vacuum. So many of our sexual choices are dependent on the environment we grew up in and the lifestyle choices that we make, and it’s important to remember sexual stereotypes hurt all of us. Instead, men and women (especially young men and women) need to be empowered to make smart sexual choices and to consider their bodies and their sexuality as worthy of respect and self-care.

Last Updated: 3/18/2013

Laura Berman, PhD, is a leading sex and relationship educator and therapist, popular TV and radio host, New York Times best-selling author, and assistant clinical professor of ob-gyn and psychiatry at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.

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